


Blurring the Lines Part Two

by AmberBrown



Series: Reading between the Lines [4]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Guilt, M/M, Pre-Series, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:53:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21660715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberBrown/pseuds/AmberBrown
Summary: Aramis sates his need to be with a man. He sees it as a necessity, but is starting to wonder if there is more to it.
Relationships: Aramis/Porthos
Series: Reading between the Lines [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1542634
Kudos: 24





	Blurring the Lines Part Two

**Author's Note:**

> This is a follow on from the previous part.

He was a Musketeer. A marksman, a swordsman, a soldier.

He was taller than the man he was with, he was stronger than the man he was with. But there had been no discussion. No mutual understanding of what each of them wanted from the encounter. They had the usual careful conversation in the tavern, established that they would not see each other again. The man was heading for the coast, unlikely to return to Paris for many years. They had left discreetly for the empty house that Aramis knew. But nothing had been said by the man to indicate who would give and who would receive. The man had just taken the oil and greased his palm and cock before nodding towards the table where Aramis steadied himself, his breeches already at his knees. There was no other contact, no sign of affection or intimacy.

Aramis was used to getting on with it. He needed it. And afterwards, the self-recrimination would trouble him for several hours. He would go to confession, be given absolution, which would have no effect on him, and he would carry on, squashing the feelings away until they broke out and he needed to deal with them again. 

He had fallen into a routine. He would sate the urge and try to forget about it until it resurfaced. But his recent conversations with Porthos had made him reassess. He knew what he did was wrong, and he also knew he could not stop the need, it was a vicious circle. Until that conversation with Porthos, he had accepted that what he did was just...what he did, how he lived.

It was wrong.

Was it?

The man rested his hands on Aramis’ hips, lining himself up. The preparation had been minimal, Aramis would just bite his tongue, he had learned not to react if the sex was uncomfortable. Perhaps the discomfort was what he needed. Punishment for what he had done as a child. 

The man eased into him. Some men simply thrust; that was harder not to react to. As he got used to the man moving in him, he felt himself getting hard. His body enjoying the encounter more than he was. 

He wondered what Porthos did. His friend had said he enjoyed sleeping with men. Aramis enjoyed the release and a few moments of pleasure but afterwards, he was always wracked with guilt, despite knowing he would want - would need - to sleep with a man again.

He imagined Porthos fucking the men he met in the taverns. The Musketeer was strong, he would be the obvious one to take the lead in any encounter, although Aramis got the impression Porthos would be equally happy to let the other man lead. The idea appealed to Aramis, his confident friend at ease in any position. 

The man currently fucking him slipped his hand from Aramis’ hip and wrapped it around his hard cock. Aramis closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations. After the initial few thrusts, he had settled himself, relaxed, feeling the tension seeping away. He was sated. The few moments of enjoyment would not last, but whilst they did, Aramis embraced it. 

MMMM

Porthos wandered along the street, nodding a greeting to a few of the stallholders. He paused to look at a collection of daggers on display outside a forge. The blacksmith stopped his work and looked up at him.

'I can't afford such fine work,' said Porthos with a smile.

The blacksmith chuckled, 'get yourself a promotion my friend,' he replied.

Porthos tipped his hat to the man as he went back to his work. After a final, wistful look at the weapons, Porthos continued his patrol.

He rounded a corner in time to see the door to a house he knew was empty being opened. He stepped back, out of sight, thinking he might foil a burglary. He was surprised to see Aramis step onto the street, closely followed by a man he did not recognise.

The two men had a brief conversation before walking off in different directions. 

The stranger walked past Porthos without noticing him, Aramis walked in the other direction. His friend was out of uniform, his sword missing and only one gun pushed into his belt. Porthos followed as Aramis walked with purpose along the road.

Porthos guessed Aramis and the stranger had just had sex or some kind of intimate encounter. He felt a little voyeuristic as he followed his friend, but he was curious as to where Aramis was going.

When it became clear he was heading to the nearest church, Porthos sighed. Aramis was going to confess his sin. He wondered if Aramis actually said exactly what he had done to the priest or if he simply inferred it. Aramis paused at the steps to the church, one of the larger ones in the area, he glanced around before entering. Porthos followed. He slipped into the last pew watching Aramis pause to cross himself respectfully before heading to the confessional, disappearing inside the tiny cupboard like room.

Porthos wondered if he should wait for his friend. Would Aramis be embarrassed or upset to realise he had been seen with another man?

Porthos waited.

Aramis was some time with the priest, Porthos was on the verge of leaving as Aramis emerged. He looked straight at Porthos for a few seconds before slowly walking towards him. They left the church together.

'How?' asked Aramis.

'I saw you leave that empty house near the forge,' replied Porthos, 'saw you leave with a man.'

Aramis looked down, shame filling his expression.

'Was he good?' asked Porthos, deciding to try to keep the conversation positive. 

He wanted Aramis to see what he did as normal, not a dirty secret that he should be ashamed of. They might not have been able to be open about what they did, but they did not have to be ashamed.

Aramis looked at him for a few seconds.

'It was... necessary,' he said slowly.

'And you feel better now?' asked Porthos.

Aramis managed a nod.

'Good.'

Porthos steered them towards a tavern, Aramis did not resist.

'I'm going to buy you dinner,' he said.

'Why?' asked Aramis, before adding. 'What do you want?'

‘I finished reading the book you lent me, and I want to talk to you about it,’ said Porthos, who had decided that a complete change of conversation would help his still slightly wary friend. 

Aramis smiled, the tension leaving his face, ‘did you enjoy it?’

Porthos nodded, pleased to see the Aramis returning to his normal self. Porthos wondered how much of Aramis was real and how much was a facade. If he could get Aramis to accept who he was and that it was not wrong, perhaps the facade would slip away, and his friend could just be himself all the time.

**Author's Note:**

> ...to be continued...


End file.
